Silver 'hina' dolls to be sold to commemorate princess' wedding
Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K. will put silver dolls on sale on Dec. 1 to commemorate the wedding of Princess Sayako last week, the company said Tuesday.....http://asia.news.yahoo.com/051122/kyodo/d8e1fl780.html

#1 (Newscom)-An employee of Japan's Ginza Tanaka admires a set of silver "hina" dolls, displayed in the households on the Girl's Festival day, third of March every year, in Tokyo 22 November 2005. The jeweler will start sales from 01 December at a price of 150,000 yen (1,260 USD) to commemorate the marriage of Japanese Princess Sayako on 15 November.
#2: Getty images

I also noticed that the Empress didn't wear a tiara or a hat. You almost always see her with a tiny hat. And in European royal weddings everybody wears tiaras, hats, or at least headpieces. I wonder what the reason for that is.[/quote]

You must remember that the Princess was losing her royal status, so tiaras are out of the question as it isn't a state occasion - besides, in the old days, the emperor didn't even attend a daughter's wedding if she was marrying a commoner. What the ladies were wearing was also evening wear, essentially, and I think ladies stopped wearing hats and long dresses at weddings in the 70s (?). Also, the hat story, though smart and formal, really originates from ladies having to cover their heads in church services.